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Alliance Defense Fund changes its name

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (BP) -- The Alliance Defense Fund, one of the nation's leading Christian legal groups, has a new name -- the Alliance Defending Freedom.

The organization switched to its new name Monday (July 9) in a change that accompanied a new logo and a tagline: "For Faith, For Justice." The new name will allow it to keep its often-used acronym, ADF. The new name, ADF says, better communicates its purpose.

"Our mission remains the same -- defending religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family. Only our name has changed," ADF President Alan Sears said in a statement. "The change is to help more people easily understand the work that we do and why it matters."

Sears added, "The emphasis remains on the word 'alliance.' Continuously building an alliance of attorneys and like-minded individuals and organizations is absolutely essential to our mission. 'Defending Freedom' communicates the essence of what the alliance does: legally defending and advocating for religious freedom."

In a list of questions and answers on the ADF website, the legal group said the old name "confused people more than it clarified what the ministry is and what it accomplishes."

"This new name helps communicate who we are, our priorities and how we go about achieving those priorities," the website said.

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